UN Security Council welcomes Iraq's decision to hold elections in January

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council welcomed on Monday the Iraqi parliament's decision to amend the country's electoral law, which would allow the polls to take place in January 2010.

Unanimously adopting a presidential statement, the 15-member body expressed its strong endorsement of continuing assistance by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in preparations for the upcoming elections.

In the statement read out by Tomas Mayr-Harting of Austria, the Council president for November, the Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in Baghdad on Aug. 19 and Oct. 25.

The Council also endorsed the secretary-general's appeal to all Iraqi political blocs and their leaders to demonstrate true statesmanship during the election campaign and participate in a spirit of national unity.

The Iraqi Council of Representatives passed on Nov. 8 amendments to the electoral law, which will allow parliamentary elections to take place in January 2010, as stipulated by the Constitutional Court of Iraq.